Friendship & sport - Jo Brennan

Friendship & sport

Winter mornings can be freezing in Temora, but that doesn’t stop Jo Brennan and her fellow joggers from pounding the frosty pavement before sun up.

Jo is a member of the Temora Running and Multi-Sports Club (RAMS), a group of passionate athletes for whom the social side of sport holds as much importance as the health benefits. RAMS members include cyclists, runners and triathletes. The group has several organised weekly training sessions and runs numerous events throughout the year, such as the Running of the RAMS Triathlon, Fun Run and Winter Swim-a-thon. Our cyclists enjoy bunch rides to various local towns, often in support of nominated charities. After growing up in Temora, Jo moved away to study teaching and psychology before returning to the town with her husband and daughter. RAMS offers Jo a social outlet that offsets the demands of her work as a school counsellor, keeping her body and mind healthy. “The best part of being involved with RAMS is that I’ve been introduced to people I’d never met - even in this small town,” she says. “It’s really strengthened friendships with people that I may not have connected with otherwise. In running and cycling, you see each other at your best and your worst so there’s that real comradery. You can be struggling up a hill or have a flat tyre and someone always comes back and gets you. We don’t leave anyone behind.” According to Jo, sport is a vital part of the fabric that holds the down to earth community of Temora together. “Sport is the bloodline of this town,” she says. “People take a lot of pride in sporting achievements and we have a fantastic and diverse sports culture that people are really committed to. Cold mornings are hard but we still run two mornings a week through winter. Knowing that someone is there waiting for you keeps you accountable - which is great if you’re a reluctant athlete, like myself!” Jo Brennan cycling past the Narraburra Hills

"It’s really strengthened friendships with people that I may not have connected with otherwise."